X Mangave plant named ‘Purple People Eater’

ABSTRACT

A new and unique X Mangave plant named ‘Purple People Eater’ characterized by long, broad, slightly arching, glaucous greenish-purple foliage, that develop reddish-purple spots densely covering the upper and lower surfaces especially with high ultraviolet light exposure. Leaves have medium-sized semi-flexible marginal spines and semi-flexible apical spine. Growth rate is moderate. The new plant is suitable for the garden or as a potted plant in the garden or home.

Botanical classification: hybrid; x Mangave times Agave.

Variety denomination: ‘Purple People Eater’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the new and distinct X Mangave hybridplant, X Mangave ‘Purple People Eater’ hybridized by the inventor at awholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA as cross between a XMangave ‘Bloodspot’ (not patented) as the female or seed parent times aselection of Agave gypsophila (not patented) as the male or pollenparent. The cross was performed on Dec. 26, 2011 and seeds wereharvested Apr. 1, 2012 and sown on Aug. 8, 2012. After passing trials atthe same nursery the plant was assigned the breeder code XMANG-12-03-25.The new plant has been successfully asexually propagated initially bydivision at the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich. and also by sterileshoot-tip tissue culture. Both methods of asexual propagation systemshave been found to produce stable and identical plants that maintain allthe unique characteristics of the original plant.

No plants of X Mangave ‘Purple People Eater’ have been sold, under thisor any name, in this country or anywhere in the world, prior to thefiling of this application, nor has any disclosure of the new plant beenmade prior to the filing of this application with the exception of thatwhich was disclosed or sold within one year of the filing of thisapplication, and was either derived directly or indirectly from theinventor.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

X Mangave ‘Purple People Eater’ differs from its parents as well as allother Manfreda, Agave and X Mangave known to the inventor. The mostsimilar cultivars known to the inventor are X Mangave ‘Lavender Lady’U.S. Plant Pat. No. 29,194, X Mangave ‘Silver Fox’ U.S. Plant Pat. No.29,642 and X Mangave ‘Tooth Fairy’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 29,599. Comparedwith the female parent the new plant has broader more concaved foliageof glaucous greenish-purple with smaller spotting. Compared with themale parent the new plant is more compact with shorter, less curled andmore reddish-purple spotted foliage with smaller and more flexiblemarginal spines. Compared with ‘Lavender Lady’ the new plant has largerleaves more distinctly spotted reddish-purple. Compared with ‘SilverFox’ the new plant has longer leaves that have more distinctly spottedreddish-purple coloration and smaller marginal spines. Compared with‘Tooth Fairy’ the new plant has more curved foliage with smallermarginal spines and more distinctly spotted reddish-purple coloration.

The new plant, ‘Purple People Eater’, is unique from all of the abovecultivars and all Agave, X Mangave and Manfreda known to the inventor bythe following combined traits:

-   -   1. Long, broad, slightly arching, slightly-folded, foliage of        glaucous greenish-purple;    -   2. Leaves develop small spots of frequently overlapping        reddish-purple spots densely covering throughout upper and lower        surfaces;    -   3. Medium-sized, semi-flexible spines on leaf margins and        semi-flexible apical spine of greyed-orange;    -   4. Moderate growth rate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The photographs of x Mangave ‘Purple People Eater’; demonstrates theoverall appearance of the new plant including the unique traits as athree-year-old plant grown in a container in a greenhouse withsupplemental water and fertilizer as needed. The colors are as accurateas reasonably possible with color reproductions. Ambient light spectrum,temperature, source and direction may cause the appearance of minorvariation in color.

FIG. 1 shows the new plant having been grown in a container.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the slightly folded foliage with dense spotsand marginal leave spines.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2015edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except wherecommon dictionary terms are used. The new plant, X Mangave ‘PurplePeople Eater’, has not been observed under all possible environments.The phenotype may vary slightly with different environmental conditions,such as temperature, light, fertility, moisture and maturity levels, butwithout any change in the genotype. The following observations and sizedescriptions are of a two-year-old plant in a commercial wholesalegreenhouse and three-year-old plant in container in Zeeland, Mich. withsupplemental water and fertilizer as needed.

-   Parentage: The female or seed parent is X Mangave ‘Bloodspot’ (not    patented); the male or pollen parent is a selection of Agave    gypsophylla (not patented);-   Propagation: Division of side shoots and sterile shoot-tip tissue    culture;-   Time to initiate roots from tissue culture: About 21 days;-   Growth rate: Moderate;-   Crop time: About 14 to 16 weeks to finish in a 3.8 liter container    from a 35 mm tissue culture growing at about 21° C.;-   Rooting habit: Fleshy, lightly branching, with roots 20 to 30 cm    long;-   Root color: Nearest RHS NN155A when active;-   Plant shape and habit: Succulent herbaceous perennial with basal    rosettes of about 84 leaves radially emerging from center crown and    slightly arching from central rhizome, with lower leaves extending    slightly below the soil line when grown in containers, producing a    radially-symmetrical, rounded mound;-   Plant size: Foliage height about 32.0 cm tall from soil line to the    top of the leaves and about 48.0 cm wide at the widest point below    soil line in container;-   Foliage description: Lanceolate; simple; margins dentate; slightly    concavo-convex; apex narrowly acute with semi-flexible spine; base    truncate, sessile; bi-laterally symmetrical; densely covered with    frequently overlapping reddish-purple spots between 0.5 mm and 7.0    mm diameter, average about 3.0 mm diameter; glaucous both surfaces;-   Leaf size: To about 24.5 cm long, about 7.0 cm wide at base and    about 2.5 mm thick at midrib; average about 22.0 cm long, about 5.5    cm wide and about 4.5 mm thick at midrib base; apical spines to    about 5.0 mm long and 4.0 mm across at midrib base;-   Marginal spines: Narrowly acute; about 2.0 mm long; average about    2.0 mm apart;-   Foliage fragrance: None observed;-   Leaf blade color: Becoming more glaucous and more thickly spotted    with reddish purple in higher ultraviolet light exposure;    -   -   Adaxial (young).—Blend of between RHS N138D and RHS 138B            with spots of nearest RHS 59 B at base and N186C distally;            Abaxial (young): blend nearest RHS 138B with spots blend            between RHS N187A and RHS 187B.        -   Adaxial (mature).—Blend between RHS N138B and RHS N187B with            spots RHS N187B and RHS 187B; Abaxial (mature): nearest RHS            138B and with spots between RHS N187A and RHS N186C.        -   Marginal spines.—Color (young) nearest RHS 160B; (mature)            nearest RHS 175A.-   Apical spine: Becoming dry and semi-flexible, entire; about 18.0 mm    long and 2.0 mm across at base; color on young leaves nearest RHS    172A at apex and nearest RHS 161A at base, at maturity nearest RHS    200B;-   Petiole: Sessile;    -   -   Veins.—Parallel; not distinct abaxial or adaxial no color            variation between other leaf tissue.-   Flower description: Not yet observed;-   Fruit and seed: Not yet observed;-   Disease resistance: X Mangave ‘Purple People Eater’ has not been    observed to be resistant to diseases beyond that which is normal for    X Mangave, Agave or Manfreda. The plant is xeromorphic and survives    well with minimal water once established. The new plant is hardy at    least from USDA zone 8b to 11. Full extent of winter hardiness has    not been tested.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental X Mangaveplant named ‘Purple People Eater’ as herein described and illustrated.